Coulais began his musical education on the violin and piano, aiming to become a composer of contemporary classical music. However, a series of acquaintances gradually re-oriented him towards film music. Coulais was particularly influenced by director François Reichenbach, who asked him in 1977 to write the soundtrack to his new documentary Mexico Magico. The first full-length production he composed the score for was the 1986 film La femme secrète by Sébastien Grall. Until the end of the 1990s, he remained low-profile, composing mainly for television. His name can often be found from TV films by Gérard Marx and Laurent Heynemann. He also composed the soundtracks for Christine Pascal's 1992 film Le petit prince a dit, and Agnès Merlet's Le fils du requin in 1993.
In 1994, he met the television producer Josée Dayan, who let him write a theme for the TV series La rivière Esperance, aired on the France 2 network in autumn 1995. He worked with Dayan again with other major productions such as Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Balzac, and Les nuiteux.
The largest turning point of his career came in 1996, when he worked with directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou of the documentary Microcosmos. This single film, which gave a great significance to the music in it, was a great success and made Coulais one of the most wanted composers of French film music. In 1997, he won the César award for the best musical score in a film, as well as a Victoire de la Musique. His reputation was confirmed by the soundtracks to Himalaya (1999) and Les rivières pourpres (2000), and after that Bruno Coulais's name was to be found on most new French blockbusters, such as Belphégor and Vidocq.
After producing the soundtrack to Winged Migration in 2001, Coulais announced that he wanted to significantly reduce his contributions to film music, and instead concentrate on other projects, such as the creation of an opera for children, and collaborations with Akhenaton, Akhenaton's group IAM and the Corsican group A Filetta, with whom he had worked since he had made the soundtrack for Jacques Weber's film Don Juan in 1998.
In 2002, his name was found on the ending credits of the animation L'enfant qui voulait être un ours, and in 2004, on Frédéric Schoendoerffer's Agents secrets. The same year, he wrote the soundtrack to the film Les choristes by Christophe Baratier, which subsequently became an international hit. The music for this film received as great praise as the film itself, and it won Coulais his third César award. Since then, Coulais's collaborations in cinema seem to be limited to works by directors with whom he already shares some history, in particular Jacques Perrin, Frédéric Schoendoerffer, and James Huth.
Bruno Coulais's musical style may vary significantly between different projects, but there are some constant factors visible: his taste for opera and for human voice (in particular that of children), for a search for original sonority, for world music and mixing different musical cultures, and finally, a certain tendency to give preference to the ambience created by lighting rather than the film's narration.
The Highest Gander
Bruno Coulais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wild refugees flee the seasons
Drifting beyond the night clouds
In the wake of their guiding star
There he goes the famous gander
Eating fog, dancing with witches
There he goes, the famous old gander
If you hear the sound of our voices
Through the busy murmur of the Earth
You will know the meaning of our words
Praying for Spring to the ether
Night and day the travellers fly
Winter and Spring have their reasons
Sailing through sunrise and setting wild wind
And through steel blue air
Here he comes, the highest gander
Eating fog, dancing with witches
Here he comes the famous old gander
Who longed to leave
We don't feel the warmth of your breath
Through the icy edges of the Earth
We don't hear the rhythms of your call
Signalling the Spring in the ether
The lyrics to Bruno Coulais's song The Highest Gander paint a vivid picture of a group of refugees traveling over dark seas and through night clouds, in search of a new home. The famous gander serves as their leader, eating fog and dancing with witches as they journey towards their destination. The travelers face many challenges along the way, including harsh winter conditions and the longing for the warmth of Spring. The lyrics suggest that although the refugees are physically isolated from others, they remain connected through their voices, which symbolize hope and prayer for a better future.
The song can be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggles faced by people forced to leave their homes due to war or environmental disasters. The "wild refugees" are representative of those who have been displaced from their homes and are seeking a new place to belong, and the famous gander can be seen as a symbol of leadership and guidance. The lyrics also suggest that even in the darkest of times, there is still a sense of hope and connection through the shared experience of suffering.
Overall, The Highest Gander is a powerful and insightful song that offers a unique perspective on the struggles of refugees. The lyrics are rich in symbolism and imagery, and the haunting melody and vocals only add to the emotional impact of the piece.
Line by Line Meaning
Overland, above the dark seas
Travelling on land, high above the dark and tumultuous sea
Wild refugees flee the seasons
Deserters from the normalcy of seasonal changes in search of the unknown
Drifting beyond the night clouds
Gliding away from the dark clouds of the night
In the wake of their guiding star
Following the light of a celestial body that's guiding their path
There he goes the famous gander
The well-known goose is on his way
Eating fog, dancing with witches
Enjoying the mystical fog and conjuring spells with witches
There he goes, the famous old gander
The highly-regarded elderly goose is leaving
who longed to leave
Who yearned to embark on a journey
If you hear the sound of our voices
Should you hear the tone of our vocalizations
Through the busy murmur of the Earth
Amidst the clamour of the planet
You will know the meaning of our words
The significance of our words will become clear
Praying for Spring to the ether
Sending appeals for spring season to permeate the entire universe
Night and day the travellers fly
The wanderers fly throughout night and day
Winter and Spring have their reasons
Reasons affiliated with both winter and spring seasons
Sailing through sunrise and setting wild wind
Sailing through the gusty wind at times of sunrise and sunset
And through steel blue air
And travelling through the hardy blue atmosphere
Here he comes, the highest gander
The head goose is arriving
Eating fog, dancing with witches
Indulging in the mystical fog and witchcraft dancing
Here he comes the famous old gander
Here comes the distinguished elderly goose
Who longed to leave
Who wished to depart for somewhere else
We don't feel the warmth of your breath
We do not sense the heat of your exhalations
Through the icy edges of the Earth
Through the frozen outer limits of the planet
We don't hear the rhythms of your call
We do not perceive the rhythms of your invocation
Signalling the Spring in the ether
Cueing the appearance of the spring season throughout the universe
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRUNO COULAIS, GABRIEL YACOUB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Polo BEDE
Sacré robert , quelle voix , ! ! quelle classe .Mais , la composition de bruno COULAIS est sublime aussi , il faut le dire !
Paradise Life Beats
ITS MUSIC WOW!
Gabriel Yacoub
Lyrics by Gabriel Yacoub (sans vouloir se vanter.....)